A Sporting Chance For Grille?

Dining - CHOW HOUND

Perhaps. Even Though There Are A Lot Of Other Sports Bars In Town, The Orlando Sports Grille Scores Just The Same.

June 4, 2004|By Scott Joseph, Restaurant Critic

Does Orlando need another sports bar? Apparently, we do. Or at least a number of sports-bar sports are betting the field isn't quite saturated yet. Near Orlando International Airport, the people who operate the Orlando Ale Houses in the area are building a huge complex and should be warming up in the bullpen soon.

But up the road a bit, that road being Semoran Boulevard, Orlando Sports Grille, a pretty sizable operation itself, has already left the starting gate. And yes, as a matter of fact, I do plan to keep inserting cheesy sports references throughout the column.

Anyway, the Hound suited up recently and headed to the corner of Semoran and Curry Ford Road to check it out. Orlando Sports Grille has something in common with another sports-themed restaurant, Smokey Bones, and I don't mean the unnecessary "e" in their names. Both restaurants feature barbecue as part of their starting lineups.

I had the Grille's ribs-and-chicken combo on one of my visits. The ribs were just slightly fatty, but the meat was tender and gave up the bone easily. The chicken (a leg, thigh and wing quarter) was good too. The bird was moist and had a pleasant smoky taste. The accompanying barbecue sauce wasn't very distinctive.

On another visit, I had "THEE" burger, which is how it's listed on the menu. If that's a sports reference, it's one I don't know. But it was one pretty good burger. It featured two patties, cooked close to the requested medium-rare, topped with Cheddar cheese, a couple of thick rashers of bacon, lettuce and tomato between Texas toast instead of on a conventional bun. The meat was moist, and the bacon provided not only a smoky taste but an added texture. It was served with fries, which were not the same quality as the burger.

I also sampled a bowl of the Grille's chili, a meaty version with a well-spiced gravylike broth. The macho nacho appetizer had chili too and big chunks of ground beef. It was a little light on cheese and toppings in general. There were a lot of chips left over after the toppings were gone, but a big pile it was.

I was particularly impressed with the servers. They made a point of greeting guests immediately, even if only to tell them they'll be with them in a moment. They were upbeat without sounding phony, and most of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, which is half the game.

The dining room features lots of brick and tile. Seating is at booths or high tables situated around the bar. There are a couple of pool tables and assorted video games. And whatever your game, you can catch it on one of the dozens of televisions placed throughout the restaurant. There are even monitors in the restrooms that are "strategically placed," according to a note on the Grille's Web site (orlandosportsgrille .com), "so you don't miss a highlight."

Orlando Sports Grille is at 1701 S. Semoran Blvd., Orlando. The hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The bar serves all your favorite adult beverages. Prices range from $6.95 for a basic sandwich to $18.95 for a steak dinner. Credit cards are accepted. Phone 407-382-2255. Hike.

LIFE'S A BICE

The folks at Portofino Bay hotel at Universal Studios are planning to close the resort's fine dining restaurant, Delfino Riviera, and replace it with Bice, a New York-based Italian group with more than 40 restaurants around the world.

Delfino Riviera opened with the hotel in 1999 and offered upscale Ligurian cuisine in a quiet, romantic atmosphere. The restaurant has won Foodie Awards as the most romantic restaurant in Central Florida. And the food of chef Massimo Fedozzi had a following among Orlando diners.

So why are they closing it?

According to Michael Sansbury, regional vice president and managing director of Loews Hotels, which operates Portofino Bay, it's strictly business.

"We have had such tremendous success with Palm at Hard Rock Hotel and Tchoup Chop at Royal Pacific," also operated by Loews, "we felt that a national brand like Bice would be a nice complement to Portofino Bay," says Sansbury. Tchoup Chop is owned and operated by Emeril Lagasse, and Palm is part of a New York chain of steakhouses. In other words, people are more likely to dine in a restaurant with a recognizable name than in an independently owned restaurant, regardless of how good it might be. One big heavy sigh and a pitiable tsk tsk on that note.

Sansbury says the Bice folks have agreed to interview the staff members of Delfino for positions in their new restaurant, or the workers may be placed in other restaurants at Universal, but Fedozzi tells the Hound he won't be staying. He is considering a position in Savannah, Ga., when Delfino Riviera closes, on or around July 15.

Besides New York, Bice (say it with me: BEE-chay) has restaurants in Miami, Palm Beach and Naples, as well as another slated for Fort Lauderdale.